Fruit picker&#39;s sack



Mafch 30, 1948.

c.' G. MILLER 2,438,360

FRUIT PICKER'S SACK Filed NOV. 21, 1944 a GJIZZ'ZZefi 1 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Mar. 30, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRUIT PICKERS SACK Christopher G. Miller, Rifle, 0010.

Application November 21, 1944, Serial No. 564,525

1 Claim. 1

This invention aims to provide a bifurcated sack for the use of fruit pickers, for example, novel spring means being provided for holding the upper end of the body of the sack open, and novel means being supplied for suspending the sack from the body of a wearer.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows, in front elevation, a sack constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the sack, parts being broken away.

The drawings disclose a sack for the convenience of fruit pickers, for example, and comprising a flexible body I having depending, flexible bifurcations 2, which are closed at their lower ends by slide fasteners 3, or otherwise. The bifurcations 2 define a crotch 4.

A flat, U-shaped, expansible spring '5 is retained in the crotch 4, and extends from a place near the upper, rear edge of the body to a place near the upper, forward edge of the body. The spring 5 constitutes means for holding the upper end of the body I open, along the median, frontto-back plane A-B of the body, and forms a baffle, functioning to check the downward movement of the fruit and prevent bruising, as the fruit descends into the bifurcations 2. A means 6 is supplied for suspending the sack from the person of a user.

The invention comprises a coiled, expansible, circurnscribing spring I, mounted on the upper end of the body I, and constituting means for holding the upper end of the body open from front to back, and from side to side, on opposite sides of the U-shaped spring 5.

A crotch strip 8 extends from a place near the upper, rear edge of the body to a place near the upper front edge of the body, and is secured to the body, the crotch strip covering and housing the U-shaped spring 5. Securing elements 9 con.- nect the upper ends of the spring 5 with the crotch strip 8 and with the body I.

The circumscribing spring I is housed in a tubular pocket I0, formed at the upper end of the body I. The rear ends of the spring I may be spaced apart slightly, as shown in Figure 2, the rear ends of the spring being attached, as shown, to the rear portion of the body I. The rear ends of the pocket I0 are open, and consequently a new spring I may be inserted readily into the pocket, should one spring become dead or broken. The spring I is in the form of an expansible loop.

The suspending means may embody flexible straps I2, having their rear ends secured to the rear portion of the body I, the straps being crossed, as indicated at 14, but being freely sep- 2 arable at their place of crossing. Snap connections I5 join the forward edges of the straps I2 to the side portions of the bifurcations 2. It will be noted that the cast-off connections are spaced fair enough below the upper edge of the body I to cause the upper portion of the body to remain flexible, and readily responsive to the springs I and 5. Buckles I6, or any other suitable means,

may be employed to vary the effective lengths of the straps I2.

The straps I2 extend backwardly over the shoulders of the wearer, as shown in Figure 1, and the sack hangs at the front of the wearers body in an open and accessible condition. The sack may be detached from the body of the wearer by loosening the cast-off connections I5.

Owing to the fact the springs I and 5 are resilient, they do not interfere with the movements of the fruit picker, should the sack come into contact with ladders, trees, or other obstacles. The location of the snap connections H5, at the sides of the bifurcations 2, distributes the weight in such a way that the sack may be worn with comfort to the user.

What is claimed:

A sack for the convenience of fruit pickers, for example, and comprising a flexible body having depending, flexible bifurcations defining a crotch, a Wide expansible U-shaped spring retained in the crotch and extended from a place near the upper, rear edge of the body to a place near the upper, forward edge of the body, the spring constituting means for holding the upper end of the body open, along the median, front-to-back plane of the body, and forming a bafile functioning to check the downward movement of the fruit, and preventing bruising, as the fruit descends into the bifurcations, in combination with an expansible, circumscribing spring mounted on the upper end of the body, and constituting means for holding the upper end of the body open, from front to back, and from side to side, on opposite sides of the U-shaped spring, and means for suspending the sack from the person of the user.

CHRISTOPHER G. MILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Allen May 23, 1939 

